In the field of thermal printers, a print head having a plurality of printing elements is positioned adjacent paper or like record media and the printing elements are heated to an elevated temperature sufficient for effecting printing of characters on the paper. Printing is effected by transferring material in the form of ink from a thermal transfer ribbon, upon heating of the printing elements, onto the paper. The heating of the printing elements which are in contact with the thermal transfer ribbon during the actual printing operation cause the ribbon to be partially fused or bonded with the paper and to interfere with the freedom of advancement of the paper and the ribbon in a subsequent printing operation. It is therefore necessary to separate or strip the ribbon from the paper after each printing operation in one or another direction.
While there have been various ribbon separating mechanisms or systems for effecting separation of the ribbon from the paper, it is advantageous to provide a mechanism or apparatus for operating in compact areas, for operating at the higher printing speeds, and for accomplishing the separation in assured manner.
Representative documentation in the area of thermal printing apparatus includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,396,308, issued to S. L. Applegate et al. on Aug. 2, 1983, which discloses ribbon guiding for thermal lift-off correction wherein the guide is positionable toward the platen on a pivoted arm to allow a bond for correction to set before the ribbon is pulled away.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,253, issued to W. Goff et al. on July 3, 1984, discloses thermal print apparatus wherein the ribbon support is movable relative to the paper by an eccentric to move the ribbon into and out of contact with the paper.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,509,060, issued to O. Uozumi on Apr. 2, 1985, discloses a sheet separation system for thermal transfer recording apparatus which includes a separator member that pierces the ink sheet downwardly to push the underlying recording sheet away from the ink sheet.